Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking the debate. I am sure that as Minister of State, he has visited many nursing homes. As we know, they are fantastic institutions operated by dedicated individuals who selflessly work night and day to take care of our loved ones. Nursing homes play a key role in healthcare delivery in Ireland. It is never an easy decision for families or individuals to make to enter a nursing home. I have heard many fabulous stories of fantastic care received in nursing homes but my issue concerns people who are placed in these settings for no reason other than there is nowhere else for them to go. The case of Julia Thurmann was recently brought to my attention by Councillor Cormac Devlin. Ms Thurmann was 34 when she found herself moving into a nursing home in 2008. Ten years later, she is still there and her attempts to live independently have come up against repeated obstacles. Ms Thurmann resides in a nursing home in north County Dublin with 120 other residents, some of whom are suffering from dementia. While her placement in the nursing home costs the State more than €62,000 per year, independent living would cost the State significantly less. Her placement is inappropriate. We are trying to get away from congregated settings to community settings and we need integration, not segregation. I implore the Minister of State and the Government to redouble their efforts to support individuals with disabilities who are living in nursing homes, to bring to an end the congregated settings in which they are living at present and to afford them the opportunity to live in dignity.